Reducing my house electricity costs – any advice please .

[Crossy]

39 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Unplug small electronic devices when not in use. Some, like tvs, use power even when switched off.

 

This ^^^ and those ruddy "smart" bulbs using <0.5W each.

 

All those vampire loads add up.

 

A simple, mechanical switch means "Off" really is off!

 

[thaibeachlovers]

Just now, Crossy said:

 

This ^^^ and those ruddy "smart" bulbs using <0.5W each.

 

All those vampire loads add up.

 

A simple, mechanical switch means "Off" really is off!

 

Fair enough. I was meaning using the off switch on the remote, which isn't actually off, apparently. I don't unplug my devices, so I guess that was a "senior" moment.

[thaibeachlovers]

47 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Shower with cooler water, or convert to gas fired.

use fans and not ac

heat water with gas not electric

use led bulbs indoors

don't need exterior lighting on all the time. Sensor activated if needed.

Unplug small electronic devices when not in use. Some, like tvs, use power even when switched off.

 

Apologies for the error.

As pointed out by Crossy, use the wall switch to turn tvs off, not just the remote off button.

 

[Crossy]

1 minute ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Fair enough. I was meaning using the off switch on the remote, which isn't actually off, apparently. I don't unplug my devices, so I guess that was a "senior" moment.

 

I'm as guilty as anyone for leaving the TVs etc. on "standby" but we have none of the "smart home" stuff, all the lights have actual switches.

[The Hammer2021]

There are lots of useful tips  in the British  Press where energy  bills have increases by 400%.

The choice for many in Britain is eating or heating.

Old people have been advised to gather in libraries,  museums  or pubs but they are closing due to heating  costs.

Decide which items use most electricity and unplug them,  fridge and washing machine, eat less  and wash less. However bad it is here it's not as  wretched as Britain but the the  press is giving lots of handy hints  and money-saving ideas.

[sometimewoodworker]

6 hours ago, bobandyson said:

Wear clothes that don't require ironing after every wash.

Better still wear clothes that never need ironing 

[sometimewoodworker]

3 hours ago, possum1931 said:

"However when I returned to Thailand, of course, the reverse case was also true."

You mean you told them?? ????

Of course, never lie to HMRC, bad things will happen.

 

I told them of my visit dates during my one conversation 

[sometimewoodworker]

2 hours ago, Custard boy said:

Sorry I know its off topic.????

 

This is very interesting for me.

 

So have I got this correct , prior to you returning to the UK to reside there you telephoned the DWP and informed them that you would soon be permanently residing back in the UK . 

 

On hearing your telephone confirmation that you would soon be permanently residing back on UK soil , The DWP un froze your pension payment and the next scheduled pension payment would be at the current normal unfrozen rate..

 

I had it in my mind that if I returned to the UK with the intention of un freezing my British government pension, I would have to provide the DWP with an actual British postal address where I was residing and the DWP would then over time send forms / paper work for me to sign and return relating to my request to un freeze my current pension that I had been receiving in Thailand. This could possibly take months to finally sort out . 

 

It had also crossed my mind that once the British government pension had been reinstated to the normal un frozen amount, then it would just be a matter of quietly returning back to Thailand and then receive an un frozen pension amount .

A few misconceptions. 
I did not relocate to the U.K., I visited for 3ish weeks

There was no paper work involved.

I don’t remember exactly if they asked for an address, if so I gave my brother’s C/O address.

It certainly did not take months, it was either done while talking to them or shortly after.

The increased pension is calculated on a daily basis, the increase is paid on the usual payment date.

 

Cheating HMRC is an extremely bad idea. There are numerous ways for HMRC to discover that you don’t live in the U.K. including, but not limited to, the electoral roll, utility bills, bank accounts  etc

 

If you want the higher pension go to live in the Philippines the level of English is far better and other services are as easily available.

Edited September 3, 2022 by sometimewoodworker

[unheard]

3 hours ago, KannikaP said:

Cheapo Chinese ones off Lazada, Bht 150 each

Then you don't really know what's their standby power consumption.

Unless you test them with a specialized tool.

A cheapo watt meter won't cut it.

You've mentioned that you turn your bulbs off during the daytime..

Why would it matter as in reference to the standby power consumption metric?

 

 

[KannikaP]

4 minutes ago, unheard said:

Then you don't really know what's their standby power consumption.

Unless you test them with a specialized tool.

A cheapo watt meter won't cut it.

You've mentioned that you turn your bulbs off during the daytime..

Why would it matter as in reference to the standby power consumption metric?

 

 

I meant that I turn them off at the switch ie no power going to them. Sorry I was not so specific previously.

[unheard]

12 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

I meant that I turn them off at the switch ie no power going to them. Sorry I was not so specific previously.

Oh, I see.

So you use them like regular bulbs then??

You said that you got WiFi bulbs for the purpose of controlling  them from the phone and on schedule?

Do you keep the bulbs on a "hybrid" schedule?

By cutting their juice off during the day, and then flipping the physical switch on in the evening to let them function according to the night time schedule?

Edited September 3, 2022 by unheard

[Lacessit]

2 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

 

If you want the higher pension go to live in the Philippines the level of English is far better and other services are as easily available.

I know governments make up the rules as they go along. Having said that, how does the UK government justify having different pension rules for different countries?

AFAIK US and Australian age pensions are the same wherever their citizens are on the planet.

[jak2002003]

5 hours ago, Crossy said:

 

Are you saying your panels and inverter have been sitting inactive for a year??

 

Your contractor should have hooked everything up so your inverter and panels were active and generating with your existing meter (if of the disc type) whizzing backwards when exporting. This is actually how most of the small systems here operate anyway.

 

The contractor would then arrange a PEA inspection of the system at which point an export meter would should be installed. It's also at this point that the delay happens, but if your meter reader doesn't actually see the meter going backwards (turn off the solar on the days he's likely to come) you could carry on for years in this state.

No. 

 

Our panels are all up and running...with the inverter.  

 

So be have free power in the day. 

 

But we have no batteries.  We wanted to wire it into the grid and PEA pay for our excess electric...we pay at night...and then it was going to equal out. 

 

The contractor was very good and professional.  We have all the documentation sent off the PEA.  They just keep saying they are too busy to come.  

 

So...we got the contractor to come and fix up the extra 2 panels that were waiting for PEA.  

 

We also had problems in the past with PEA and our new Meter and electric poles.  They are infuriating.

 

This is Chiang Mai...so maybe different areas of the country are better. Idk. 

[gamb00ler]

4 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Better still wear clothes that never need ironing 

Better yet, emulate Steve Bannon and don't shower, wash clothes or iron them.  You should probably pass on his 3-shirts regimen.

[Custard boy]

11 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Those temperatures are incorrect for safe storage

Freezer -20 °C (maximum  -18 °C)

Fridge  + 4  °C

Thanks - This is a new fridge / freezer , so I was wondering what the correct temperatures should be ????

 

.

[Custard boy]

4 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

A few misconceptions. 
I did not relocate to the U.K., I visited for 3ish weeks

There was no paper work involved.

I don’t remember exactly if they asked for an address, if so I gave my brother’s C/O address.

It certainly did not take months, it was either done while talking to them or shortly after.

The increased pension is calculated on a daily basis, the increase is paid on the usual payment date.

 

Cheating HMRC is an extremely bad idea. There are numerous ways for HMRC to discover that you don’t live in the U.K. including, but not limited to, the electoral roll, utility bills, bank accounts  etc

 

If you want the higher pension go to live in the Philippines the level of English is far better and other services are as easily available.

Many thanks for the correction ????

 

.

[AsianAtHeart]

12 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Please post your evidence, AFAIK microwave is non-ionizing radiation with zero health effects, unless one was to climb into a microwave oven.

Manufacturing standards for ovens are quite rigorous, in order to prevent stray radiation.

Perhaps you have been looking at conspiracy websites too often.

Microwaves work by causing water molecules, which are polar (have a more negative side and a more positive side), to "dance" (reverse directions rapidly in the changing polarity) creating friction, and heat.  A microwave works best on water-saturated foods, e.g. soup, tea, milk, boiled porridge, etc.  Foods high in protein or fat that have little to no water content can be damaged, molecularly, by the microwave radiation.  (The term "radiation" is easy to misunderstand, as this refers generally to a broad range of spectra, from sound waves to radio waves to visible light to x-rays.  Microwaves are near the range of the ultrasound devices used for medical purposes, but obviously with higher output power.)

 

12 hours ago, Photoguy21 said:

The air conditioner I would think to be the biggest consumer of electricity. Do you have it on all day? If so why not just use fans in the day and A/C for sleeping. Even then turn the cut in temperature up. I set mine to 29C which is still cool and the A/C doesn't come into play very often at that setting.

Agreed on setting the A/C temp to 29C.  We do the same.

 

11 hours ago, Custard boy said:

Thanks

The one air conditioning unit is only used for a short time before going to sleep and does not ever run all night or during the day time. 

 

I currently have the A/C set on Eco mode which according to the instructions is the most economical setting .

.

This is where I see a potential for some savings.  Do you use fans at night while the A/C is off?

 

We have an inverter A/C unit, and found that setting it to 29C and running it all night, 24/7 even, was almost the same price as when we had used fans.  Fans are electric motors and consume a fair bit while running.  The A/C does not need to come on all the time to keep the room cool, and when the pump is not running, it has a gentle, low-powered fan to circulate the already-cooled air and uses less energy than if we were trying to circulate hotter air with a higher-powered fan.

 

I would advise that you experiment a little with this and see.  If your A/C unit is efficient, running it MORE and leaving the floor fans off, might actually save electricity and be more comfortable at the same time.  In our case, we're a whole lot more comfortable, but have about the same electric bill because we're running the A/C almost full time, as we used to do with the fans.  I realize this is counterintuitive, and perhaps, even, it does not apply to every A/C unit.  Ours seems more efficient than I initially suspected looking at its documentation, and our is still quite new--just bought it this year.  We had always before just used fans, assuming that A/C would be very expensive, but this year was so hot we couldn't sleep at night, and I felt it was adversely affecting my health.

 

Mind you, our A/C is in the bedroom, and we shut the door--so we're not using A/C except in the bedroom.  We're not cooling the entire house.

 

10 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

A few suggestions for incremental improvement (not just to save 100-200 baht, but to reduce carbon footprint):

 

1) assess whether exterior lighting is truly beneficial from a home security standpoint, or is it just for aesthetics. Security value varies depends on location, but can often add little value, burning lights all night long wastes money.

 

2) Religiously turn lights and fans off whenever leaving room, even briefly. You get distracted, and the fan and lights end of burning money for no benefit. Consider minimal fan speeds whenever possible. With cooler temperatures, can get by with fan set at "1" or "2", only need "3" in super muggy weather.

 

4. if outlet for microwave is counter level, unplug when not in use.

 

5. Cleaning refrigerator coils every 6 months, and periodically cleaning and inspecting refrigerator door gaskets is important for energy efficiency.

 

6. Check energy savings settings on computer.

 

7. I have a water cooler in my study, but I think it's an energy guzzler. Probably more energy efficient to cool drinking water in fridge compartment. Definitely turn off at night, or when not actively being used.

 

If one has LED lights, it will save electricity to "religiously" turn them off when not in use.  But one should be aware that for fluorescent bulbs, this is not necessarily so.  Fluorescent fixtures involve a little more energy requirement at startup time, and tend to shorten the life of the bulb the more it is started.  So your electric savings may be lost in replacement bulbs.

 

LED bulbs typically pay for themselves in electric savings in about 18 months assuming one is using the lights for about 6-8 hours per day.  After the initial investment is recovered in electricity savings, the rest is pure "profit" per the "a penny saved is a penny earned" rule.  One of the first things I do when I rent a house is convert all the lights to LEDs.  As we've had our current set of LEDs for over a year now, we're already enjoying electricity savings, and the LED bulbs were basically free, having paid for themselves.  And LEDs last much longer than CFLs.

 

6 hours ago, Crossy said:

 

This ^^^ and those ruddy "smart" bulbs using <0.5W each.

 

All those vampire loads add up.

 

A simple, mechanical switch means "Off" really is off!

 

It's not just the switches to watch out for.  Transformers that are plugged in waste a little power even when not supplying a current to a load.  Those, when not in use, should be unplugged.  One might even notice, when feeling them, that they are a little warm when plugged in, even without a load.  So if your charger is not in use, unplug it from the wall outlet.

 

See here for more:  https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/everyday-tech/plug-in-transformer.htm

[Crossy]

9 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

No. 

 

Our panels are all up and running...with the inverter.  

 

So be have free power in the day. 

 

But we have no batteries.  We wanted to wire it into the grid and PEA pay for our excess electric...we pay at night...and then it was going to equal out. 

 

The contractor was very good and professional.  We have all the documentation sent off the PEA.  They just keep saying they are too busy to come.  

 

So...we got the contractor to come and fix up the extra 2 panels that were waiting for PEA.  

 

We also had problems in the past with PEA and our new Meter and electric poles.  They are infuriating.

 

This is Chiang Mai...so maybe different areas of the country are better. Idk. 

 

Got it. Going by the experience of another member @Thaifish you could be in for the long haul

 

Which inverter do you have?

 

[Lacessit]

6 hours ago, AsianAtHeart said:

Microwaves work by causing water molecules, which are polar (have a more negative side and a more positive side), to "dance" (reverse directions rapidly in the changing polarity) creating friction, and heat.  A microwave works best on water-saturated foods, e.g. soup, tea, milk, boiled porridge, etc.  Foods high in protein or fat that have little to no water content can be damaged, molecularly, by the microwave radiation.  (The term "radiation" is easy to misunderstand, as this refers generally to a broad range of spectra, from sound waves to radio waves to visible light to x-rays.  Microwaves are near the range of the ultrasound devices used for medical purposes, but obviously with higher output power.)

 

 

I am not disputing your statement proteins and fats can be molecularly damaged in a microwave, anyone who has heard the crackling that goes on in a microwave when operating on said substances would know something unusual is occurring.

 

Having said that, I'd like to see evidence the damage generates harmful compounds. Acroleins from fats, maybe. Where's the evidence? One can generate acroleins just as easily if a frying pan is too hot.

 

Sensible people operate microwave ovens as intended, with water-based foods.

[sezze]

I figure out you are going as cheap as possible . Ok what is possible and does makes sense .

A are the cameras really needed or not ? They do use electric and even if it is 1 watt , they are on 24h a day .

B easy and fast , water for shower , i must admit hot showers are very very nice , so either you shower colder or another and very nice option : put some water bucket outside , during daytime , and put some black foil ( or similar) on it . Even putting some water in a black bucket , by the time the sun goes down , the water is hot . 2 advantages , nr1 the water is hot enough to shower and nr 2 you do not need a pump to pump more water , just use scoop method , i am pretty sure you do know what i mean... 

C Use a fan only directed straight at you and/or your wife . And ceiling fans are not useful at all for that . They do use more power then a standard fan , while pointing at smaller section , but keeping only your spot cool , which is what you want .

General , Use more Thai behavior . I do not know where you stay in Thailand , but if you do live in small village in Isaan , you do know where you can save a few Baht here and there ( making 1000s in the end of the month ) . Some things are easy to adapt , others are harder .

[BE88]

22 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Please post your evidence, AFAIK microwave is non-ionizing radiation with zero health effects, unless one was to climb into a microwave oven.

Manufacturing standards for ovens are quite rigorous, in order to prevent stray radiation.

Perhaps you have been looking at conspiracy websites too often.

That you continue to eat with food contaminated by the cellular destruction of what you ingest is only your choice and you cannot point it out to others without feeling guilty of misinformation.

 

Yes, I am a conspiracy theorist and I fully assume it because being a conspiracy theorist and the ability to always question what governments tell you to do through the official mass media controlled by the FBI throughout the West to make you stupid and unable to make your own opinion. personal.

 

My dear friend and better start asking you some question, we who think you offend or silence us by calling us conspiracy theorists, we are millions of people who have finally opened their eyes to the reality of our world.

 

[unheard]

2 hours ago, sezze said:

Some things are easy to adapt , others are harder .

A balancing act or priorities.

Costs over conveniences.

[sometimewoodworker]

14 hours ago, Lacessit said:

I know governments make up the rules as they go along. Having said that, how does the UK government justify having different pension rules for different countries?

AFAIK US and Australian age pensions are the same wherever their citizens are on the planet.

The Australian pension has some interesting variations, including having to spend some years in Australia to qualify to get it outside Australia.

 

as far as the justification for different rules for different countries that depends if there has been a treaty on the subject and the perceived benefits of one.

[Lacessit]

33 minutes ago, BE88 said:

That you continue to eat with food contaminated by the cellular destruction of what you ingest is only your choice and you cannot point it out to others without feeling guilty of misinformation.

 

Yes, I am a conspiracy theorist and I fully assume it because being a conspiracy theorist and the ability to always question what governments tell you to do through the official mass media controlled by the FBI throughout the West to make you stupid and unable to make your own opinion. personal.

 

My dear friend and better start asking you some question, we who think you offend or silence us by calling us conspiracy theorists, we are millions of people who have finally opened their eyes to the reality of our world.

 

Every food we eat is subject to cellular destruction, starting with salivary enzymes, then hydrolysis with strong hydrochloric acid in the stomach, finished off by gut bacteria.

 

The phrase "My dear friend and better start asking you some question" in your response tells me all I need to know, goodbye.

 

 

[Crossy]

A bunch of bickering posts have been removed.

 

Let's try to play nicely shall we?

 

[RafPinto]

I would invest in a solar system.
Put a budget of 100k Baht away.

Will take some time to recover your money. 555

1500Baht a month and you worry?

[KhunLA]

10 minutes ago, RafPinto said:

I would invest in a solar system.
Put a budget of 100k Baht away.

Will take some time to recover your money. 555

1500Baht a month and you worry?

At 70+ years of age, don't think ROI will be forthcoming in his lifetime, if just trying to knock a few 100 baht off his bill.  If things that tight, can't see springing 100k for a solar system is in the budget.

 

Was my first thought also, until reading age and actually concern of only a few 100 baht savings attempt.  Seems to be living minimalistic already with his electric use.

 

@ 1500  baht bills, he's only using about 12 units a day, which I can use that overnight, if not being conservative.  He could almost get by on a 3kW system.

[BE88]

On 9/3/2022 at 8:40 AM, phetphet said:

 

 

Another lighthearted suggestion. You and the wife could always shower together. ????

Yes, It is turning off the electric shower and more fun, ????

[chalawaan]

On 9/2/2022 at 2:19 PM, Robin said:

Do without electric kettle and microwave.

Microwave costs less than using gas to heat soup, for example. On the other hand, kettles use so much power that small generators can't even run them!

 

Washing machines Aircon and fridges all best replaced if older than 5 years.

At the very least, service them. 

Tip: Front loaders wash better. 

 

 

[dddave]

On 9/2/2022 at 11:01 AM, transam said:

Tell the ladies in the house, a shower only takes 2 minutes, not 30.

 

Replace all lighting with LED, checkout the LED wattage to your stuff equivalent to do the same job.

 

Fill any open space in fridge/freezer with plastic bags etc. Periodically, pull the fridge/freezer out, turn off the power to it, unscrew the panel covering the gubbins, clean out all the <deleted> build up with vacuum and brush, ensure air can be pulled in and expelled by the fridge gubbins cooling fan. Don't take too long doing it if you have frozen chips. ????

I bought switched twin plug sockets for regularly used stuff, saves pulling plugs all the time, plus they have small LED lights telling you if an appliance is still switched on, very handy..

 

Don't neglect to clean the fridge door seal along with the frame it contacts  Just a small amount of gunk on the seal can cause air leaks.

Anybody with an older fridge should consider replacing the door seal.  I did that once to a 10 year old fridge and the difference was dramatic.

Edited September 4, 2022 by dddave